Location-based approaches for controlling an energy consuming device

• US 10,101,052 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2014
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Opower, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Opower, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Frank, Ilan, McCool, Daniel, Darci, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Cassity, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/567,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20160018122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 700276
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/48 prior to normal operation, e.g. pre-heating or pre-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/66 Sleep mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/00 Control inputs relating to environmental factors not covered by group F24F2110/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/10 Weather information or forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/50 Load
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1902 characterised by the use of a variable reference value
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 : associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 : using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In some aspects, the subject technology relates to an “Eco-mode” on a thermostat. A button or other user interface element may be configured to activate and/or deactivate) the eco-mode on the thermostat. Upon selection of the eco-mode option, various energy-saving programs can be implemented on the thermostat. The energy-saving programs can be configured to adjust a temperature setting of the thermostat or to provide notifications to a user associated with the thermostat that implement various approaches for reducing energy consumption of a heating, ventilation, and air condition (HVAC) system associated with the thermostat. The eco-mode button can provide users/consumers with a convenient way to save energy, without requiring the user to think of comfort tradeoffs that may need to take place.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining a first geo-fence for a property and a second geo-fence for the property, the property including a thermostat that controls operation of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) system for the property, the first geo-fence encompassing a geographic region in which the property is located, and the second geo-fence encompassing the geographic region encompassing the first geo-fence;

associating a plurality of user devices with the property;

aggregating notifications of the plurality of user devices entering and exiting geo-fences associated with the property and storing the notifications in a geo-fence crossing database, wherein the notifications do not identify coordinates of a geographic location;

receiving, from a user device of the plurality of user devices, a first notification indicating that the user device has exited the first geo-fence;

setting a first configuration of the thermostat based at least in part on receiving the first notification;

receiving, from the user device, a second notification indicating that the user device has exited the second geo-fence;

responsive to receiving the second notification indicating that the user device has exited the second geo-fence, analyzing additional notifications from the geo-fence crossing database to determine whether any other user devices associated with the property are located within the second geo-fence without analyzing coordinates of one or more geographic locations associated with the other user devices based on at least the notifications not identifying the coordinates; and

responsive to determining that none of the other user devices associated with the property are located within the second geo-fence based upon the analysis, setting a second configuration of the thermostat.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein associating the user device with the property further comprises:

determining, based at least in part on a software application running on the user device, that the user device is enrolled in a profile associated with the thermostat.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein setting the first configuration of the thermostat based at least in part on receiving the first notification further comprises:

sending, to the thermostat, an instruction for modifying at least a temperature setting on the thermostat based on the user device exiting the first geo-fence.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first notification does not include Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates identifying a geographic location of the user device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the user device, a third notification indicating that the user device has entered the second geo-fence; and

setting the first configuration of the thermostat based at least in part on receiving the third notification.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising

receiving, from the user device, a fourth notification indicating that the user device has entered the first geo-fence;

and

disabling the first configuration of the thermostat based at least in part on receiving the fourth notification.

7. A computing device for energy usage alerts, the computing device comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to perform;

determining at least one geo-fence for a property, the property including a controller that controls operation of an energy consuming device, the geo-fence encompassing a geographic region in which the property is located;

determining at least one first event to be triggered upon the computing device crossing the geo-fence;

determining, based on location information, that the computing device has crossed the geo-fence; and

sending a notification indicating that the computing device has crossed the geo-fence in response to a second event being triggered, wherein the notification is configured to modify the operation of the energy consuming device responsive to a determination that no other user devices associated with the property are located within the geo-fence based upon an analysis of notifications of the other user devices entering and exiting geo-fences associated with the property, wherein the notifications do not identify coordinates of a geographic location, wherein the determination that no other user devices associated with the property are located within the geo-fence is made without analyzing coordinates of one or more geographic locations associated with the other user devices based on at least the notifications not identifying the coordinates.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein determining at least one geo-fence for the property further causes the computing device to perform the operations of:

determining at least one distance radius from the property that defines a geographic region including the property, wherein the controller is configured to operate using a first temperature setting when the computing device is located within the geographic region, and wherein the controller is configured to operate using a second temperature setting when the computing device is located outside of the geographic region.

9. The computing device of claim 7, wherein sending the notification further causes the computing device to perform the operations of:

sending the notification to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to modify the operation of the energy consuming device based at least in part on the notification.

10. The computing device of claim 7, wherein sending the notification further causes the computing device to perform the operations of:

sending the notification to a server, wherein the server is configured to instruct the controller to modify the operation of the energy consuming device based at least in part on the notification.

11. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to perform the operations of:

determining, based on location information, that the computing device has entered the geo-fence; and

sending a second notification indicating that the computing device has entered the geo-fence in response to the first event being triggered, wherein the controller is configured to modify the operation of the energy consuming device based at least in part on the second notification.

12. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the notification does not include Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates identifying a geographic location of the computing device.

13. A computing device for energy usage alerts, the computing device comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to perform;

determining a first geo-fence for a property, wherein the property includes a thermostat that controls operation of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) system for the property;

aggregating notifications of a plurality of user devices associated with the property entering and exiting geo-fences associated with the property and storing the notifications in a geo-fence crossing database, wherein the notifications do not identify coordinates of a geographic location;

receiving, from a user device of the plurality of user devices, a first notification indicating that the user device has exited the first geo-fence for the property;

responsive to receiving the first notification indicating that the user device has exited the first geo-fence, analyzing additional notifications from the geo-fence crossing database to determine whether any other user devices associated with the property are located within the first geo-fence without analyzing coordinates of one or more geographic locations associated with the other user devices based on at least the notifications not identifying the coordinates; and

responsive to determining that none of the other user devices associated with the property are located within the first geo-fence based upon the analysis, setting a first configuration for the thermostat.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to perform the operations of:

receiving, from the user device, a second notification indicating that the user device has entered the first geo-fence; and

setting a second configuration of the thermostat based at least in part on receiving the second notification.

15. The computing device of claim 13, wherein setting the first configuration for the thermostat further causes the computing device to perform the operations of:

sending, to the thermostat, data describing an instruction for enabling the first configuration.

16. The computing device of claim 13, wherein setting the first configuration for the thermostat further causes the computing device to perform the operations of:

sending, to the thermostat, data describing an instruction for modifying at least a temperature setting on the thermostat.

17. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the first notification does not include Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates identifying a geographic location of the user device.

18. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to perform the operations of:

receiving, from the user device, a third notification indicating that the user device has entered a second geo-fence; and

setting a third configuration of the thermostat based at least in part on receiving the third notification.

19. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the notifications stored in the geo-fence crossing database include (i) a second notification indicating that a second device of the plurality of devices entered the first geo-fence and (ii) a third notification indicating that a third device of the plurality of devices exited the first geo-fence.

20. The computing device of claim 13, wherein determining the first geo-fence for the property further causes the computing device to perform the operations of:

determining at least one geographic boundary that includes the property, wherein the thermostat is configured to operate using a first temperature setting when the user device is located within the geographic boundary, and wherein the thermostat is configured to operate using a second temperature setting when the computing device is located outside of the geographic boundary.